Week 35 Review: The Bird and the Blade

From Goodreads:

As a slave in the Kipchak Khanate, Jinghua has lost everything: her home, her family, her freedom … until she finds herself an unlikely conspirator in the escape of Prince Khalaf and his irascible father as they flee from their enemies across the vast Mongol Empire. On the run, with adversaries on all sides and an endless journey ahead, Jinghua hatches a scheme to use the Kipchaks' exile to return home, a plan that becomes increasingly fraught as her feelings for Khalaf evolve into a hopeless love.

Jinghua's already dicey prospects take a downward turn when Khalaf seeks to restore his kingdom by forging a marriage alliance with Turandokht, the daughter of the Great Khan. As beautiful as she is cunning, Turandokht requires all potential suitors to solve three impossible riddles to win her hand—and if they fail, they die.

Jinghua has kept her own counsel well, but with Khalaf's kingdom—and his very life—on the line, she must reconcile the hard truth of her past with her love for a boy who has no idea what she's capable of...even if it means losing him to the girl who'd sooner take his life than his heart.

THE BIRD AND THE BLADE is a lush, powerful story of life and death, battles and riddles, lies and secrets from debut author Megan Bannen. 

My Review:
Man, this was a great, but oh, so sad, read! I had previously read the end, so I knew how things would wrap up, so I was a bit scared to read this book, but now I have, and it was a really great read! It's still such a sad story, though! 

This book is told in dual timelines-of Jinghau and Khalaf as he's undertaking these riddles set by Turandokht, and of how things got to this point. It was so great to see this world and how the fantastical elements were coming into play! 

I felt so ba for Jinghau, she's a slave, she's lost everything, and she's in love with a prince who is risking his life to get back his kingdom, and who'll never really look at her romantically. That one thing about her brother, though, just makes the story even more sad! 

This book was so lyrical, and expressive. I loved reading about these characters, and I was rooting for them, and watching the riddles be dealt with was so great even as it was heartbreaking. And oh, that end was just a final stab to the heart! 

I had a great time reading this book, and I can't wait to read more by Megan Bannen! 

Author: Megan Bannen
Read: August 31st, 2022
Source: Edelweiss/Bought
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a DAC Book, Historical Fiction 2022 Book and a SAC 2022 Book!
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Published: June 5th 2018

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars